Bolton Wanderers Women sign Blackburn Rovers prospect Knox

Wales youth international attacker Knox was snapped up from Blackburn Rovers this week in what may be the most eye-catching addition made by Myles Smith’s side since their rebrand in the summer.

Already boasting experience at Championship level along with stints at Manchester City and Liverpool, the 19-year-old adds to a squad that is sitting pretty at the top of the league with six wins out of six so far.

Coach Smith billed his new arrival as an “exciting and attacking player” and believes her decision to drop down the leagues to join the Whites is a feather in the club’s cap.

“We have been working on it for a couple of weeks now, so it was great to get it over the line,” he told The Bolton News. “Faye is a fantastic player. Her CV speaks for itself.

“She was offered a contract at Blackburn, who are a Championship team, and she opted to come to Bolton in tier six which is credit to everyone who is involved.

“The players are showing we’re no ordinary tier six team, the staff have put together a programme which is pretty much already a full-time standard. I have certainly been at some top clubs and what we are doing here is not dissimilar to the best in the women’s game.

“Players are moving down the ladder to be a part of it because the coaching they will receive is going to make them better players in the future. They can see the potential and it takes some maturity for players like Faye to take that leap but we will look after her well and we will make sure it is the right place for her.”

Faye Knox has played for Wales at youth level and has experience at Blackburn Rovers (Image: Newsquest)

Wanderers have already brought in players like Jess Lightfoot, Olivia Ball and Annabelle White on dual registration from Everton and Blackburn, respectively, and tempted others to join their ambitious project.

And though tier six football will not guarantee some of the most glamorous opposition and facilities around every matchday, Smith says the opportunity to work at Lostock and within the framework of the whole Bolton club gives his players an incentive.

“It is similar to the way I took my job, coming from tier one and big clubs like Manchester United and WSL, it is a bit of a shock move,” he said.

“But what I say to the players is that everything we given them in a week, the quality of coaching, the contacts I have in the game that can help them in the future, the project we have here, it is rivalling what they have in tier two. The programme itself is probably better than some clubs in tier two, let alone three, four and five.

“The game on Sunday is probably the weak spot for making that drop down but everything they get around it during the week tops it up.

“Players like Faye look at it and decide we will develop her as a footballer because of what we do all week. If you can get by with 90 minutes on a Sunday where you are not guaranteed it being the best opposition, then all the wraparound 360 support we give makes it so much better.”

Knox has had a brief taste of football in the higher divisions of the women’s game but Smith is confident it will not be her last.

“I have always been passionate about developing players and sometimes at first team level it can be that development stops because it is so results-driven,” he said. “But I think it can continue at the same time, it doesn’t need to be an academy system.

“I have been lucky enough to work with some of the very best men’s and women’s players around anywhere, and when I’m old and in my sixties, I’d love to have trophies, but it is more about the relationships I have built with players.

“One of the biggest things I enjoy at the weekend is looking across about 30 different teams to see how all my players are doing.

“It’s the same with Faye, I think I can help make her a better player. Whether the future is with Bolton or something even bigger, who knows? She is only 19, so even if she was a part of this for the next five seasons we could be a Championship club by that point, we just don’t know.”

Wanderers earned a 3-1 win at Preston on Sunday thanks to two goals from Milla Hodson and one from Jess Lightfoot, but also owed a debt to goalkeeper Annabelle White, who saved a second-half penalty.

Smith felt it had been his team’s most complete performance of the season to date.

“It was a very good game, probably the biggest test we have had to date,” he said. “We knew they were going to be aggressive, try and put one on us but we didn’t allow them to, so it was a very good performance.

“I’d said from the off to the players in our first meetings that every team is going to want to be us that little bit more because of what we are doing. They are aware that we want to climb the leagues and the great programme we are putting on, and it gives a bit more of an incentive.

“That was definitely the case with Preston but the girls were brilliant. We dominated possession, the ball was in their half for most of the game. They had the odd break and spell, they are a good team, but we were in control, which was really pleasing.”

Wanderers move on to FA Cup action this weekend, facing Tranmere Rovers from the division above.